Dope

Rick Famuyiwa

About the Movie

Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is a geek into old-school rap who finds himself in the middle of an adventure involving shady drug dealers, offbeat weirdos and a backpack that can make or break his chance of getting into Harvard. Also starring rapper A$AP Rocky, Blake Anderson (TV’s Workaholics) and Zoë Kravitz, DOPE is “vibrant and entertaining” (Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter).

Director

Screenwriter

Producers

Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews

TOMATOMETER

88%

Reviews Counted: 144

Fresh: 127

Rotten: 17

Average Rating: 7.3/10

Top Critics' Reviews

Fresh: "Dope" may be the perfect movie for the summer of 2015. – Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com, Jun 19, 2015

Fresh: The film's ability to confound expectations while delivering some big laughs may be its most crowd-pleasing characteristic but the anti-stereotype message rings clear as a bell throughout. – James Berardinelli, ReelViews, Jun 19, 2015

Fresh: The movie is overly ambitious but never dull, and the ensemble cast is fun to watch. – Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader, Jun 25, 2015

Fresh: When so many black movie characters are simple stereotypes, it's a pleasure to see a film with real wit about the benefits and pitfalls of playing to and against those expectations. – Patrick Dunn, Detroit News, Jun 19, 2015

Customer Reviews

Irresistible Fun

by
bloodclay

“Dope” is not the movie that you probably expect when hearing the title. I want to stress that. The word itself has negative connotations (with most thinking immediately of drugs when they hear it), and though it certainly deals with things of that sort, it isn’t really that simple. The few definitions of the word are addressed at the beginning of the film, most notably as a slang term referring to something that is “very good”. This definition, my favorite of the few, seems to capture the movie in the best light.

Essentially, this is a coming-of-age picture. Our main character is Malcolm, a high-school senior who’s obsessed with 90s hip-hop culture, and who constantly shows this affection by emulating the fashion and language of the time. He’s a straight-A student with perfect SAT scores and seems to have everything under control - despite a few bullies - until he finds himself taking a chance invitation to a drug dealer’s birthday party along with his two best friends. From there, he's taken on a crazy adventure littered with bad choice after bad choice, all the while juggling college applications and interviews that will surely determine his future.

Writer/Director Rick Famuyiwa strips the film of any tired cliches or stereotypes for African-American characters, and surprisingly manages to infuse details that question the issues of racism and class discrimination. But above all, he makes a really fun movie. The writing is sharp and humorous, with the acting from the main trio - Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, and Kiersey Clemons - complimenting it excellently. And though it’s undoubtedly rough around the edges, its wit and ceaseless energy make it irresistible.

Wish more movies were like this -- The Best Coming of Age Comedy in Decades

by
The Wingspan

It's a rare thing to have a movie as clever, silly, funny, witty, honest, relatable, and entertaining as Dope. There's really something for everyone, especially people like me who are tired of seeing every "teen movie" covered in white people acting out completely banal and tired plots. Dope is nothing like that; it leaves no one out, and deals with every stereotype, and reality, head on. I broke out with applause for this movie more than any other. Bravo to all involved.

Movie of The Year

by
@zacksice81

The movie was awesome. It was authentic and funny. I could relate because I grew up in the 90's.